Pentax 43mm

The Pentax 43mm is another lens in the Pentax Limited lineup. I consider this lens as the full frame variant of the Pentax 40mm which is only compatible with cropped sensor DSLR. You can get the best price from Amazon. B&H Photo and Adorama also have it in stock.

The price of this glass is fairly expensive which is quite normal considering this is a full frame compatible glass.

In terms of build quality, you can expect a lot. This glass is made out of metal and was a joy to use and operate.

However, I would recommend you go for the 40mm glass if you are using a cropped sensor DSLR.

This is because the f/1.9 is this glass’ biggest weakness. At this aperture, the center and borders are soft. Also, the vignetting is fairly apparent at this aperture.

If you are using a full frame DSLR, then this might be an option for you, although certainly not the best one.

Read on to see the complete Pentax 43mm review below.

Pentax 43mm Specs

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Official Name:
Pentax SMC FA 43mm f/1.9 Limited

Focal Length Markings:
43mm

Features:
SMC – Super Multi Coating – Minimizes flare in the lens.

FA – Compatible with both full frame and cropped sensor DSLR camera.

Limited – Limited edition glass. Label that is put for great performance in a compact package.

Full Technical Specs

Technical Specifications
Groups / Elements	6 / 7
Angle of View	53°
Number of Blade Diaphragm	8
Minimum Aperture	f/22
Minimum Focusing Distance	1.5ft.
Filter Thread	49mm
Weight	5.5oz.
Dimension (Diameter x Length)	ø2.5 x 1.1″
Macro Magnification Ratio	0.15X
Available at	Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama

Optical Performance

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Pentax 43mm Sharpness

Center sharpness is soft at f/1.9, but very sharp at other apertures.

Border sharpness is very soft at f/1.9. Stopping down to f/2.8 will greatly improve the sharpness.

To get maximum sharpness on this glass, shoot at f/5.6.

Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor

Center Sharpness

Focal Length / Aperture	f/1.9	f/2.8	f/4	f/5.6	f/8
43mm	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent

Border Sharpness

Focal Length / Aperture	f/1.9	f/2.8	f/4	f/5.6	f/8
43mm	Poor	Great	Excellent	Excellent	Great

Distortion

Distortion is very minor on this glass and can be ignored in most situation.

See the distortion grid test below.

Vignetting

Vignetting is apparent at f/1.9. Stopping down to f/2.8 will eliminate it completely.

As long as you shoot at f/2.8 or smaller, vignetting will not be visible.

See the vignetting test result below.

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration control is fairly good on this lens. Although not perfect, it can be considered low at any aperture.

See the chromatic aberration test result below.

Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High

Chromatic Aberration

Focal Length / Aperture	f/1.9	f/2.8	f/4	f/5.6	f/8
43mm	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low

Build Quality

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Materials

Being a Limited lens, this lens is made from very high quality parts made all from metal. This lens is available in two colors: Black and Silver.

Focusing

The small focus ring was tested smooth. This is an FA (full frame) lens so there is a dedicated aperture ring on this lens.

Like other lenses, this lens has no internal autofocus motor (to keep the dimension small) and hence has to rely on the Camera’s screw drive. As a result, the autofocus will generate a bit of a noise.

The autofocus speed is fast and accurate.

Image Stabilization

The Image Stabilization feature is installed in the camera body, not on the lenses. Check your camera if it has Image Stabilization feature.

Compatibility

Being an FA lens, this lens is compatible with both full frame and cropped sensor DSLR. It is also compatible with film SLR camera.

Sample Image

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Below are some sample shots that I took using this glass. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.

Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama.

Conclusion

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This will be a summary of the Pentax 43mm review.

There is only one problem with this lens and that lies on the f/1.9 aperture.

At f/1.9, it is very soft on the center and on the border. You will need to stop down to f/2.8 improve the sharpness a lot.

Vignetting is also visible at f/1.9 and you will need to stop down again to f/2.8 to completely eliminate it.

Other than the problem above, this lens is very sharp in general at other apertures. Distortion and chromatic aberration are also fairly well controlled.

In terms of build quality, this lens is superbly built from metal, typical of all Limited lens.

The price can be a little bit expensive though. For the price, I would go for the Pentax 40mm instead because it will give you better optical quality.

Drawbacks

• At f/1.9 this lens is soft on the center and borders
• Visible vignetting at f/1.9
• Fairly expensive

Positives

• Good sharpness overall (except at f/1.9)
• Good chromatic aberration control
• Good distortion control
• Excellent build quality
• Fast and accurate autofocus mechanism

Good For

• Slightly wide normal lens when used on full frame DSLR
• Slightly telephoto lens when used on cropped sensor DSLR
• Street photography

Not So Good For

• Anything that requires you to shoot sharp at wide aperture – because the f/1.9 results are soft

What Others Are Saying…

by “J. Wright”

This is the sharpest lens I have used on my Pentax cameras. I love the rendering and colors of the lens. This lens is the perfect size to compliment my DA21 and DA70. I like the silver finish much better…
Click here to see the full review

Where to Buy

Support this site, buy the Pentax 43mm lens from these sites (best price online):

Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)

B&H Photo

Adorama

See the related lens review post below to see more options.

• Pentax 43mm
• Pentax 40mm
• Pentax 50mm 1.4
• Pentax 55mm

Thank you for reading this Pentax 43mm review and hope you’ll be able to make a good purchasing decision.

Tags: pentax 43, pentax 43mm, pentax 43mm 1.9, pentax 43mm limited

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